With the worst refugee crisis since WWII and at a time when over half of the U.S. governors are rejecting Syrian refugees for fear of ISIS, we have to ask ourselves: What is the place of the Church?
Please see the video which has been posted over on the Lounge to see how the church in the Southeastern California Conference is demonstrating the Gospel in very practical ways.
They are helping the refugees to assimilate by teaching them English, helping with housing, finding employment, with food and clothing and more. The Church is God’s hands offering help to those in need. Only by actually giving help to those most in need are we doing His work. Why can’t this be promoted by the leadership as a welcome to those refugees who will be coming to our shores?
You lose an enemy when you make them your friend. ISIS is always ready to recruit the disgruntled and discouraged.
When Gabriela says, “The Church”.
Is she talking about Protestants and Catholics [Christianity] as working together to forge a New Union of Cooperation of Presenting God, Presenting Christ to the World, and the United States and Canada in particular?
OR, is she meaning ONLY the Seventh day Adventist Church?
If she is meaning The First, WHERE do SDAs stand in this mix of Apostate Protestantism and The Beast?
As presented in our most famous book, The Great Controversy?
IS the Seventh day Adventist Church group to mesh itself into this “The Church” United?
I am OK with this, but it would sound like Total Heresy and out of control thinking by those who read and believe the Great Controversy as it reads. Some would say, The Jesuits have REALLY taken over the Church if this happened.
As an article here on Seventh day Adventist Spectrum Magazine, this is not very clear.
PS-- This also means the Church-House would need to be open for business seven [7] days a week. Most SDA church buildings are only open 4 hours on Sabbath, 2 hours on Wednesday evening. Closed and locked the other 162 hours of the week.
I read the essay as speaking to the Church of which Christ is the High Priest and Lord of Lords, which is beyond denominational lines. Thus the essay is address each one of us. Christainity trumps culture no matter what Donald or Ben says. tom Z
From a theological perspective, it is to be recognized that ISIS is an apocalyptic sect within Islam. Apocalypticism has an intrinsic violent element in it because it builds its case for justice on the notion that God is at war. This should be a warning to Christian apocalytic sects which also glorify martyrdom. Just as Seventh-day Adventists tried desperately to disassociate themselves from the Branch Davidians at Wako, muslims disassociate themselves from ISIS. Still, these events should be a wake-up call to all Christians with an apocalyptic symbolic universe. Many Christians are challenging Muslim claims that Islam is a religion of peace. They should review Christian history and then claim that Christianity has been a religion of peace as it has manifested itself through history. It is high time for Christians to stand up for a Christianity that promotes peace.
Excellent analysis. This is indeed ISIS’s demented strategy and plotting. Reactionary, irrational, generalized fear and then ostracism of Muslims in general only supports ISIS’s prophecy. Open armed, compassionate acceptance of those fleeing anarchy and chaos in their homelands will defy the narrative of ISIS. Let us do all we can to spin the narrative in favor of Christian selflessness in service to fellow human beings in need.
“Till now, the Church and the American society have been coexisting comfortably with each other. After all, at the heart of this great nation we find that biblical principles, and Christian mores have shaped the very institutions that gave the US its particular identity among other nations (democratic vision, the generous spirit of its constitution, its national institutions and laws, etc.).”
I am not inclined to agree with this statement. Our nation was not founded solely upon “Christian” principles but rather by others such as the principles of the “Enlightenment”. So, to say that “democratic vision” comes from Christianity might be a stretch.
This is a strong step in the right direction. But is it a facile answer to a very deep problem?
In the past. the SDA church has rebuffed efforts by progressive pastors and others to form strong links with the Muslim community. I remember, for example, when Muhammad Ali offered a large sum of money to Andrews University to help build a center of mutual understanding, but was refused. Despite the fact that the church has accepted large sums from Saudi, Jordanian and other entities in the past, and at other times has resisted efforts to create ongoing constructive dialogue with Muslims, there can be a new way forward. I am glad that Dan Jackson posted an essay in Huff Post today opening the church’s heart to Muslim refugees. But the blinders have to come off, and SDA members should never be heard echoing the political and racist crap that comes out of the mouths of Republican candidates these days.
Adventists must embrace Muslims as children of God, celebrate our commonalities, and act as Jesus would do toward refugees and others from Arabic-speaking countries. The church is not God’s single answer to the ISIS problem, but it can help reach moderate Muslims and help build peace in the world.
Thanks Gabriela!
Thanks for reminding us of the following:
Yes, the Gospel we teach is the “Gospel of the Kingdom,” the Kingdom Christ died and yet lives to establish in the individual lives of believers. This kingdom, unlike the beastly and this worldly kingdoms, is from above. This kingdom even now is unseating the Usurper from the hearts and minds of people, one life at a time. The battle of the good kingdom from above against the evil kingdoms and strongholds from below was most fully joined in the ministry of our Saviour and Lord and continues to this day. Here believers within the church of God are impelled by the Spirit of God, the Vicar of Christ, to point people to the transformative reign of God. Such believers are to assist in the establishment of beachheads through which the final assults against the evil strongholds of this world will be conducted.
In the time since San Bernadino, Adventists of all people have been presented with a platform to present Christ and the power of His Love as opposed to the love and lust for power of every earthly stronghold. Hidden within the weakness of the very dying form of our Saviour was His strength and power to save. Let’s proclaim this in our service to all, and in our speaking the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Gabriela is not the only one thinking along the lines of Jesus Christ:
The Blood of American Christianity Will Be The Seed Of The Church
Pass the Peace!
I am understanding that “Church” here is referring to Christ’s Church, not a particular denomination.
Catholics have had a strong network to help refugees for ages, everywhere.
A great service by SDAs can be seen here in this video I posted in the Lounge. (Anyone can access the lounge. Those who can’t yet, just drop a post here directed to @JaredWright and he will open the shut door… lol
Check the video, you will love it.
As Christians, we should be more concerned about faithfulness not effectiveness; we need to take our marching orders from the King of Kings and Prince of Peace, and we should not be blinded to think that a destruction of our enemies through violence will actually conquer evil. And I’m certainly glad that Jesus has not destroyed me—even though I too have had times when I have been His enemy.
“What should we do with ISIS,” I’m always reluctant to answer until I know what they mean by “we.” Does it refer to our USA identity or our Christian one? The two are not the same; they are very different. Strangely, Christians in the USA often use “we” to refer to their national identity rather than their Christian identity. I don’t know what to do with ISIS. The current crisis defies simple answers. So I will give neither a patriotic nor nonviolent tirade about the most effective solution to the problem. Instead, I’ll offer the two ideas that I feel strongly about and that I can bring in a biblical text with a good degree of confidence.
First, destroying ISIS is not the same as destroying evil. America could nuke every terrorist to hell and Satan would walk away untouched. Satan doesn’t need ISIS. Perhaps he’s using them, but I suspect he’s putting more energy—as an angel of light—into moralistic, consumer driven, power hungry religious movements that are covered in a thin veneer of Christianity. Or, Satan could use the false notion of “world peace” to steal what belongs to Christ. In any case, our real fight is NOT with flesh and blood. We cannot fight a non-flesh and blood enemy with flesh and blood weapons. It doesn’t work. You can’t hit him. Fighting against evil with flesh and blood weapons is like punching the fog, shooting a cloud, shooting pool with a rope
Second, regardless of what the nations should do (or will do), the church’s mission is different. Even if the nations wage war against other nations, the church’s identity is one of peacemaking and healing. And the hundreds of thousands of refugees and families ripped apart by violence need both healing and peace. The church’s first response should not be, “how can we blow up ISIS,” but how can we be Jesus to those suffering from violence. Christ’s Church (his people) is continually represented under the figure of an army, yet its Captain is the Prince of Peace; its object is the establishment of peace, and its soldiers are men of a peaceful disposition.
This article is all one sided…It is all about the Muslims…but not about the Christian minorities that are systematically tortured, raped, slaughtered, crucified…our nation has consistently denied refugee status to our Christian brothers…When I see Spectrum and our NAD SDA churches call for our nation to open the doors to the oppressed Christian minority then their message for God’s Answer to the ISIS Crisis will be incredible…When I read an article of how a refugee boat of Syrians were in the open seas fleeing the area when they discovered that there were Christian refugees among them, they threw all the Christians overboard, young and old, women and children with infants…Is this what we want for the Church to be God’s Answer to the ISIS Crisis???
Elaine, I remember seeing the video (in the Lounge) but did not have time to watch it. Your comment reminded so I thought I’d go now…but, the article seems to be gone?
Edit:
Never mind. George seems to have posted it for us. I was looking for the wrong story. Thanks @GeorgeTichy
Wow! I could literally feel my heart swell inside with joy while viewing that. I dare anyone to watch that video and still be a proponent of refusing all refugees. For those who cannot get into the Lounge I will post the video here.
Imagine that you have no family, no home–no country! What would you do? Thousands of people find themselves in such a place–in the United States. They get off of a plane or a boat with nothing. The Paradise Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church in National City, Calif., has found their calling in helping refugees find new hope, healing, a sense of community, and more. For more details visit: pvchurch.org
Dear brother Grame Sharrock, I loved your valued creed, color, race inclusion. Short and sweet. Here is the noble thing to do, fickled Adventists apologize, henceforth, lay the foundation for future offense.